The Freedom of a Focused Life

“I know where I came from and where I am going.” John 8:14 (NIV)

For many people, modern-day life is fast-paced and pressured. But I can find the antidote for modern stress in an ancient book? Open up the Bible and read about the life of Jesus. He faced near-constant stress but handled it with peace—because he knew his calling and he concentrated his life around it.

Jesus said, “I know where I came from and where I am going” (John 8:14 NIV).

What about me? Do I know what God has called me to do? All of us are called by God. He put me on earth for a certain task, and he SHAPEd me to be able to fulfill that task. He’s given me a unique combination of Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences.

God doesn’t want me to be driven by the pressure of the world around me. He wants me to be driven by his purpose for me—by my calling. The apostle Paul said, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1 NIV).

Once I’ve figured out my calling, I need to concentrate on it—to focus on what matters most. 

It’s easy to get distracted and busy—to fill my life with good things rather than the best things. But Jesus knew that a powerful life is a focused life. The Living Bible paraphrase says it this way: “As the time drew near for his return to heaven, he moved steadily onward toward Jerusalem with an iron will” (Luke 9:51).

And Paul said it like this: “This one thing I do . . .” (Philippians 3:13 KJV). He didn’t say, “These 40 things I dabble in.” He said, “This one thing I do.” That’s focus.

Both Jesus and Paul understood this idea: Diffused light has very little power, but focused, concentrated light has enormous power. Light focused through a magnifying glass can burn paper; light focused as a laser can cut through steel.

If I'm finding myself feeling stressed out today, it may be because my life is unfocused. Take the time to discern my calling and then concentrate my life around it. I'll find that my stress will decrease and my effectiveness in life will increase!

In summary:

Jesus lived with peace and purpose even amid constant pressure because He knew exactly who He was, where He came from, and where He was going. In the same way, I can reduce stress and live with greater focus by discovering and committing to the calling God designed me for. He uniquely SHAPEd me—through my Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences—to fulfill a specific purpose. When I let God’s purpose, not the world’s pressure, drive my life, I move from distraction to direction. Like Jesus and Paul, who lived with intentional focus, I can experience greater peace and power by centering my life on “this one thing” God has called me to do.

Bottom line:

Clarity of calling brings focus, and focus brings peace—when I align my life with God’s purpose, stress fades and effectiveness grows.

Next step:

My next wisest step is to clarify and articulate my God-given calling in one clear statement—a sentence that captures why I do what I do and who I'm called to serve. Then, align my daily priorities with that calling by identifying one or two areas where my time or energy is diffused and begin simplifying or delegating them. This will create margin for what matters most and allow me to live with the peace, focus, and purpose that reflect both my leadership calling and my desire to influence others with intentionality and faith.